Banging pipes sound All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[skybluekev]

Hello everyone, for a while now a keep hearing a sound every now and then which sounds like pipes clanging, but this sound happens out of the blue when no water is running, no toilet chain is flushed etc. I can be out of the house all day then get in without touching any taps or anything and i'll hear it. I used to think it was the central heating but haven't had that one for a couple of months. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? thanks. Kev

[arriell]

HI, WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROB AT MO,OUR PLUMBER IS DEALING WITH IT(SORT OF!)AND WE THINK EITHER THE WATER PRESSURE HAS CHANGED AND IT IS TOO HIGH(A GISMO IS BEING FITTED 2MORO 2 REDUCE THIS) OR IF THAT DOSENT WORK THEN MAYBE OUR STOPCOCK HAS A BROKEN WASHER(WE ARE ALL OFF MAINS SO EVERYTHING PASSES THROUGH THIS)AND IF THAT FAILS MY LOVELY NEW BATH IS COMING OUT TO CHECK THE PIES BEHIND.WE HAVE OUR PIPES GOING OFF WHEN NO ONE HAS TOUCHED A THING ALSO,WE BEGAN TO THINK WE WERE GOING MAD!ANYWAY I HOPE THIS MAY GIVE YOU SOME POINTERS AND THAT WE BOTH GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS ANNOYING STRESSY PROBLEM.GOOD LUCK

[EyeTry]

I had similar annoyance from banging pipes sound and like you there was no water being used in my house at the time or just before. However I did hear a neighbour`s washing machine going on some of those occasions AND on other occasions if I was using my garden hose the pressure would drop at different times during their wash cycle. Eventually I tried opening my kitchen stop cock a bit more and success - no drop in pressure from my hosepipe AND NO MORE BANGING PIPES. I came to the conclusion there had been an imbalance in the pressure and the water hammer effect travelled through the cold water supply pipe.
Your own comment re heating negates the other possibility of an air-lock in the centrah heating system OR a boiler thermostat being faulty or set too high so that the water almost boils (rattles) like a pan on the hob.
Good luck, EyeTry.